Worship led by Ken Cowell
Exodus 12. 24-27 Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. 25. When you enter the land that the Lord your God will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26. And when your children ask you, “What does this ceremony mean to you?” 27. Then tell them, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.” Then the people bowed down and worshipped.
What prompted the people to “bow down and worship”? It was the fact that on that night the firstborn male in each family was delivered from death and the nation of Israel was set free from slavery in the land of Egypt. The only means of deliverance was by the sacrifice of a lamb and its blood being sprinkled on the sides and top of the door of each house. At midnight God brought judgement on Egypt and the only firstborn sons were saved in those houses that were sprinkled by the blood of a lamb. God said that when he saw the blood he would pass over the house and the firstborn son would be saved. It was redemption from death through the sacrifice and shed blood of the lamb that was the reason for their worship.
The Passover is very important because it is a picture of our redemption through Christ’s shed blood on the cross stated so clearly in the New Testament. “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5: 7). The worship of Christ as the Lamb of God will be a major theme of heaven’s worship. In Revelation 5: 12, we have worship of all heaven singing ”Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain”. So too this morning should our worship be to the Lamb of God who redeemed us by His blood.
SONG: Only by grace can we enter
SONG: All hail the Lamb, enthroned on high
Exodus12:11 “This is how you are to eat it; with your coat tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.”
The exodus from Egypt was not just the deliverance from their past of condemnation and bondage, but it was a new beginning with a new life. We are reminded that “in Christ we are a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come.” As they ate the Passover meal they were ready to start on their exciting journey as the people of God. Our next song speaks of what we have saved from and what we have been saved to.
SONG; I’m accepted, I’m forgiven
Their departure from Egypt had to be well prepared and quick. They ate the Passover meal which would give them strength for the beginning of the journey. Tucking their coat into their belt would enable them to move quicker and they wore long robes. This journey wasn’t to be done in their own strength but in God’s power signified by taking the staff of Moses, which had been used frequently in overcoming the plagues in Egypt. Our Christian walk of faith has similar applications. We are to put off the clothes of our old self and put on the clothes of our new self and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our next song speaks of our new walk in Christ.
SONG:When I was lost you came and rescued me
Exodus 13. 18-22 So God led the people around by the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up from Egypt armed for battle. 19. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear on oath. He had said “God will surely come to our aid, then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”20. After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.
21. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud by day and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so they could travel by day or night. 22. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
This journey wasn’t to be easy like a stroll in the park. They left armed for battle. They were soon to face opposition from Pharaoh’s army who hotly pursued them. How could they be delivered with the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh’s army behind them. Firstly, the Lord’s Presence was not only just with them but the Lord would fight for them. God’s presence with us is not just a comfort to us but it is his power working in and through us.
About three weeks ago Chris and I started a running course called Couch to 5K. It is a gradual course leading up to running 5K. You have a coach who is telling you when to run or walk and how much to do each time. My coach is Steve Cram so I have the best. He is encouraging me and guiding me. The difference when Jesus is our coach is that he not only runs with but he also runs for us. As we look to him he enables us not only to start, but keep running and finish the course. God was going ahead of them and calling them to follow. Jesus is calling us to follow him and he waits for our response.
SONG:Will you come and follow me
There are times when the road ahead seems too difficult to keep going. Even on this Couch to 5K course there are temptations to walk instead of run and even quit altogether. In the Christian race we will face times when we feel like giving up. But as our final song says God will make a way for us and enable us to keep running. We are called to run with perseverance the race marked out before us.
SONG: God will make a way